Chapter 290: Lotus (9)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 290: Lotus (9)
As soon as Jeong Yeon-shin returned to the Gongya Clan estate, he released a White Swallow to inform his senior Black Ranks of the situation. Simultaneously, he expanded his sense of Qi to sweep the surroundings.
His identity had been discovered by the Eon Family's Number One Fist. His first priority was to gauge the repercussions.
Perhaps because his martial attainment had improved, he could feel the power dwelling in the Jegal Clan Leader's gaze even more intensely now.
Honestly, it did not feel like the realm of a mere human. The man was a peerless expert who had refined a martial art Yeon-shin had never encountered to its absolute limit.
I don't think she leaked my identity, Jeong Yeon-shin thought.
The Black Ranks of the Desolate Fortress stood closest to the pinnacle of the martial world. While they were deeply feared and kept at arm's length by every sect in the Jianghu, they were always accorded the respect befitting their station.
While the leaders of the great sects were perceived as distant entities, like mountain peaks shrouded in clouds, the peak experts just beneath them were a tangible, immediate threat. It was a rank that represented the great sects themselves.
The status of the current Commander of the Demonlight Wing was second to none—not even to the Gongya Clan Leader or the Gwi Clan Leader, both of whom were revered in Shanxi.
If his identity had been exposed, there would have been an uproar by now. At the very least, there would have been suspicious movements.
The Eon Family's Number One Fist seems to have changed a lot in temperament. Still, there's no telling.
Duke of Eminent Fists Eon Hwa-ryeon. She was the companion of the Jegal Clan Leader.
Just because her attitude toward him had been peculiar didn't mean he could blindly trust her. He had to keep in mind the possibility of the Jegal Clan Leader appearing at the Gongya Clan estate.
This was true even if his damn Upper Dantian was fortunately denying that possibility for now.
His immediate survival was at stake. Just thinking about the worst-case scenario sent a cold sweat down his spine. For the first time during a mission, he found himself deeply worried about a premature death caused by someone else. He had heard that many of the senior Black Ranks of the past had lost their lives in the line of duty.
Crack.
How should he counter the sorcery martial arts of a peerless expert?
Sitting cross-legged on a smooth wooden chair, Jeong Yeon-shin wrapped his fingers around his thumb and cracked his knuckles.
I must utilize my footwork, lightness skills, and movement techniques to their absolute limits. I have to close the distance somehow and land a single, decisive blow on a vital point—whether with the Lightning-Flash Sword Ridge Style or Brilliant River.
It wouldn't be as simple as the thought that had just crossed his mind. Even within the Desolate Fortress, which specialized in intelligence, there were very few clues regarding the Jegal Clan Leader's martial arts.
The nature of his forms, routines, and trajectories were all shrouded in mystery. This was because, unlike what one would expect of an absolute master, he was an insidious man.
Summoning wind and rain.
The only information they had was that he could call forth wind and rain akin to a natural disaster. It was only right to formulate a battle strategy under the assumption that he would be fighting Mother Nature itself.
Fortunately, he possessed the lightness skill of the constellation, which he had drawn upon thanks to Cheong-myeong's younger brother.
He had to melt all the martial arts he had created so far into his Body Protection Scripture to secure a chance of victory.
Huuu—
As his thoughts progressed, Jeong Yeon-shin's breathing deepened.
Long inhalations and exhalations wove into a single channel, drawing his consciousness inward. Mental image training. It was a meditation method devised by the wise monkeys.
The image of the Jegal Clan Leader, with whom he had exchanged a single move at the Martial World Alliance, gradually grew clearer.
The inhumanly cold eyes, the elegant ribs of his fan, the starting stance that felt strangely as if he existed alone in the world, and the massive gaze he had felt just the other day...
As the image grew more vivid, it loomed over him with an overwhelming presence, taking his breath away.
His heart pounded continuously as he visualized hundreds of branching routines through the Ten-Mile Light Grace, the Infinite Flower of Time Fist, and the Lightning-Flash Sword Ridge Style.
He realized anew that he might die—a death completely unrelated to his Upper Dantian.
Hmm?
In the midst of this, a suddenly familiar wave of internal power entered his sense of Qi. Unconsciously, he perceived it as a warm, cozy feeling.
He couldn't help it. It was a wave of energy that bloomed like the light of dawn, following the mnemonic he had woven stitch by stitch while thinking of the monkey.
In an instant, his mind grew calm.
His family had arrived. It was the presence of the Vast Art Formula.
* * *
The members of the Demonlight Wing who had been unable to keep up with his Ten-Mile Light Grace gathered late. The quiet, brown room was filled with powerful waves of energy.
Heonwon Chang, Shin So-bin, the Lazy Flame Dragon, and Jegal Cheong-a sat around a square table with their Unit Commander.
Now that his identity had been discovered by Eon Hwa-ryeon, there was no reason to act with excessive caution.
As soon as she leaned back in her chair, Shin So-bin opened her mouth.
"Senior Poppy caused trouble again. I clearly tried to stop him, but he didn't even pretend to listen and just barged right in. This isn't the first or second time something like this has happened. Speaking of which, the palanquin triumphal ceremony that happened last time... Mmph!"
A transparent haze shimmered around her, and her mouth snapped shut. Her Mute Acupoint had been sealed.
A faint heat rose from the fingertips of the Lazy Flame Dragon, who sat next to her. He had suddenly discharged a burst of finger force.
It was a common sight. The Demonlight Wing was famous for being combative to begin with.
Sitting in the seat of honor, Jeong Yeon-shin tilted his head slightly.
"Palanquin triumphal ceremony?"
"It was quite a splendid event. Not something for someone in the Unit Commander's position to worry about. It was just some entertainment for the subordinates who had completed their mission," the Lazy Flame Dragon said, blowing a breath to extinguish the steam rising from his finger.
Perhaps he had been losing a lot of sleep lately, as the dark circles under his eyes had grown slightly deeper, but his face was unusually serious.
Jeong Yeon-shin let it slide. There were too many pressing issues piled up.
"The Hero of the Desolate Fortress does not look well. Is something the matter?" he asked, speaking as their Unit Commander.
Heonwon Chang, sitting to one side, flashed a faint smile. His somewhat listless appearance was unlike him, but the answer came from the Lazy Flame Dragon.
"His face has been pale ever since we set out. Well, if there's really something wrong, he'll surely speak up. Making all sorts of fuss, as usual."
"Are you sure you're alright?"
Only after Jeong Yeon-shin pressed again did Heonwon Chang finally speak.
"Please do not worry, Unit Commander. It is simply because I do not have good memories of my hometown."
"How tragic. It seems the Great Tongue Sword and this young master share something in common."
No one responded to the Lazy Flame Dragon's languid banter. Even when he chuckled to himself, glanced at Jeong Yeon-shin, and made a face as if realizing his slip of the tongue, the silence remained.
The conversation of the Demonlight Wing, which was primarily composed of youths, quickly shifted to the next topic.
"I exchanged blows with the Eon Family's Number One Fist. The Jegal Clan Leader was not present," Jeong Yeon-shin said.
Shin So-bin and the Lazy Flame Dragon reacted immediately.
"You mean the Duke of Eminent Fists, Eon Hwa-ryeon, saw you, Unit Commander? Everything is ruined. Especially with Senior Poppy's antics...!"
"My issue is nothing. Looking at it now, our Unit Commander's situation is much bigger. Anyway, how did it go? Did you blow off one of her arms? Perhaps she is already handing over her fare to the ferryman of the Sanzu River."
Jeong Yeon-shin did not answer, but suddenly looked at Jegal Cheong-a.
Before departing from the main fortress, he had spoken to her about the mission. However, he had not received a proper answer yet.
"I am sorry," she said.
"……"
The daughter of the Jegal Clan Leader lowered her long eyelashes. Sweeping her black hair, which was tied with white silk, behind her neck, she bowed her head slightly toward Jeong Yeon-shin in the seat of honor.
Serene Deep Eye Jegal Cheong-a.
She was the younger sister of the Seon-ryong, Jegal Hyeon. She was a genius of eye techniques who had been of great help to Jeong Yeon-shin in completing his Sight of the Lowly.
"...It is something that should have been settled at the Alliance," she murmured in a low voice as she raised her head. "He was already walking the path of the heterodox sects when I was a child. Countless collateral relatives were sacrificed. He used my eyes to observe the progress of planting new circulation paths of sorcery internal power into their bodies. Over a hundred and twenty people starved to death just so he could acquire the attainment to freely alternate between the Life Gate and Death Gate of formations. Everyone was used to perfect his martial arts."
Jegal Cheong-a struggled to continue.
"...I have seen the bodies of living people torn apart countless times. Extracting the counter-formulas of martial arts through autopsies was actually easier. My brother learned formations amidst a pile of corpses."
"So that Seon-ryong bastard didn't grow up in a bed of roses either," the Lazy Flame Dragon said with a long yawn. He nodded casually, looking as though he had witnessed similar things in the Hwangbo Clan.
He had once remarked that the martial clans could hardly be called orthodox factions.
Amidst the somewhat heavy atmosphere, the topic shifted.
"I heard you knocked out the Shanxi local aristocrats. Is it to the extent that your movements will be restricted?"
"I think a big fellow saw my face when his eyes rolled back... but what does that matter? How could the lowly eyes of commoners dare to capture this young master's precious face? Besides, even for you, Unit Commander, a portrait wouldn't mean much, would it?"
"...Find a separate safehouse and stay as quiet as a dead mouse. It's dangerous here. This is no longer a place to wander around with your clumsy Vast Art Formula. I will call you separately if a need arises."
"Just get me some alcohol. I have plenty of herbs."
"Herbs, my foot."
* * *
Two days later.
Was it fate? It was said that the affairs of the martial world flowed indifferently, like the great waters of the Yangtze River. Jeong Yeon-shin felt a harsh twist of fortune.
In the marketplace north of Ping'an Prefecture, where the Gongya Clan was based, several corpses were hung in a row.
Sinister rumors began to spread. Along with them came the word that among those tied to the stakes was the body of a peerlessly handsome young master holding a fan.
The Branch Head of Ping'an Prefecture remained silent.
Whether he had been bribed with irresistible wealth during a year of famine, or had his life held in the hands of ultimate experts, was unknown. Either scenario was plausible.
The Martial World Alliance.
The Hegemon Sword Sect, Lingering Spirit, and the newly founded Wolseong Sect.
The secret struggles of the great sects had finally surfaced.
While the Hegemon Sword Sect and Lingering Spirit drew their swords to drive out the Martial World Alliance situated at the edge of Shaanxi, the Jegal Clan Leader's Wolseong Sect had finally risen.
To anyone watching, they were clearly in league, and this event seemed to have occurred in the midst of their exclusive struggle.
Many had witnessed the plaque hung above the heads of the corpses.
—Let the self-proclaimed Martial World Alliance not interfere in the affairs of the Wolseong Sect. Who other than this seat dares to falsely claim the title of the direct successor of the Jegal martial lineage? Furthermore, the only one who has fully inherited the history of the Eon Family Fist is the Duke of Eminent Fists, Eon Hwa-ryeon.
The threat was said to have been carved in powerful, sweeping calligraphy, like rising dragons and soaring snakes. It was said that the Jegal Clan Leader, whose appearance seemed to transcend the mortal realm, had written it himself while treading on thin air.
There was also a postscript.
—The Wolseong Sect has established its foundation in both name and reality, and thus wishes to admit those of outstanding talent into its fold. I shall observe the Shanxi Martial Arts Tournament.
The pursuit squad of the Martial World Alliance, which had set out upon hearing news of the Wolseong Sect's founding, was instead annihilated by him.
Among the dead was the Jegal Clan Leader's own son. Under the cover of a moonlit night, the corpse of Seon-ryong Jegal Hyeon was secretly recovered by his sister and her companions.
They brought it to the detached villa of Geom Un-bi, Lord of the Hanging Jade Sect, located within the Gongya Clan estate.
"A pursuit squad had to be sent. Even if there was no chance of winning, the outcome would have been the same. Leaking martial arts? Those Jianghu bastards would rather have their own blood drawn."
The Lazy Flame Dragon's tone was flat. Out of the three who had formed a friendship centered around the Azure Qilin Namgung Se-jin, two had now passed away.
"It's as if they're mocking my short-lived fate. Those bastards who used to babble about the Four Books and Three Classics with their healthy bodies."
Rustle.
The corpse was lowered by Jegal Cheong-a's slightly trembling hands.
His pale face and sculpted features stood out. His body had been preserved through the Jegal Clan Leader's profound acupoint sealing.
It was likely done to display the power of the Wolseong Sect, but thanks to that, the Seon-ryong still looked handsome.
Even his grip, tightly clutching the blood-stained fan, still looked strong.
The current Commander of the Demonlight Wing had once stepped on that very White Crane Fan to slash the body of the Hegemon Sword Sect's Elder Council Head.
"I am glad to have been of help. It was not a very pleasant memory, but the affairs of the world are truly strange."
Those were the parting words Jegal Hyeon, who had shared a playful exchange with his fan upon their first meeting, had uttered while reminiscing about that time. The death of a martial artist was so futile.
As Jeong Yeon-shin looked down at him, all expression vanished from his face.
* * *
"It has been a very long time. I did not expect the Gwi Clan Leader to grace us with his presence personally."
"My son, who was to inherit my teachings, has ended up in such a state. Of course I had to come. I am not blaming the Gongya Clan Leader."
It was beneath the silently brilliant moonlight.
The ultimate experts, now in their middle age, parted the bright night air. There were two figures of grand stature. The dark, blue atmosphere rippled under their relentless strides.
"I hear you have taken in a new guest?"
"It is a great blessing for our family. He looks to be the same age as my son at most, yet he wields a sword like a master."
"I have heard. Geom Un-bi, Lord of the Hanging Jade Sect. I heard he is an acquaintance of the Eon Family's Number One Fist. A genius of that caliber would indeed be capable of knocking my son unconscious in a single blow. I fully intend to meet him and demand answers."
"That will not do. You seem to have come with a firm resolve, so let this Gongya guess your true intentions. You intend to use your son as an excuse to take away this house's guest..."
"The Gongya Clan Leader's words are not very pleasant to hear. I merely intend to discipline him. Even if I must mobilize all the resources of the Shanxi Gwi Clan."
"Absurd! This is not the General's Mansion. Much less a Green Forest mountain stronghold. To begin with, Gwi Il-tae's conduct is famously rotten, like a decaying turtle shell. If you rashly try to point a blade at the future of a peerless genius of the world, this Gongya will not stand idly by."
"Laughable. Do you still believe the Gongya family is the sovereign martial lineage of Shanxi? Even after witnessing the overwhelming power of the Wolseong Sect?"
Their quiet bickering carried the distinct elegance of local aristocrats.
It was a moment when the fine silk of their robes scattered the moonlight, and the dignified bearing of their Body Protection Scriptures bore witness to the status of these prominent Shanxi clan leaders.
Rumble—
The threshold of a pavilion the two were passing suddenly shuddered.
Rumble, rumble!
The sudden vibration spread at a rapid pace. The tremor raced from the threshold to the rafters, and finally to the roof tiles, causing even the main beam to shake as if struck by a gale.
"What is this? Did you dare to set a trap?"
"Nonsense! Over there! It is coming from the detached villa!" The Gongya Clan Leader pointed toward the distant sky.
At that moment.
Whoosh—!
Dozens of wisps of grayish smoke soared high into the air from that spot. An incredibly divine wave of Qi was released without any restraint.
It was the unique energy of a divine art of an incomparably high caliber.
The air currents, tinged with a soft white light, surged in large spirals, scraping against the atmosphere. Each time the energy rubbed against itself, the white light intensified.
Law-Transcending Halo Qi. Vast Art Formula—Flame River.
"Gasp...!"
"What is that? What's happening?!"
All the martial artists sleeping within the Gongya Clan estate woke up with a start.
A wave of True Qi so powerful it felt as if it would slice their skin was calling out to them.
It was akin to a command from the strong.
The Commander of the Demonlight Wing was no longer hiding his internal power.